Starlit Conversations
by InkJackets
Summary: Alya, shattered from all her daily duties but unable to sleep, goes on a night time excursion as Rena Rouge and runs into a fellow superhero.


**This was written for the Let's Pounce! zine (an Alya centric zine) on tumblr.**

* * *

Rena Rouge stumbled through her bedroom window and collapsed onto her bed. She de-transformed back into Alya and groaned as fatigue overcame her. Her phone, which had materialised once more, started pinging like crazy. She dragged an arm out from underneath her to turn off the impatient noise and allowed herself two whole seconds of rest before hauling herself to an upright position. She dug her fingers into her eyes in an effort to rid them of tiredness, dislodging her glasses in the process. She picked up her phone and winced at the sudden glare before attending to the messages, which were all notifications from the Ladyblog with people asking her for updates and her opinion on the most recent akuma attack. She scrolled through them for a moment in disbelief. She had _literally _just defeated the akuma, how was she supposed to have an update already? She sighed. It wasn't like her followers knew who she was. Smacking her cheeks in an effort to wake herself, she dragged herself over to her desk, plonked herself in her chair, and furiously typed away at a new article. She needed to appease her insatiable audience. However, no more than ten minutes had passed when her mum called her.

"Alya!" she yelled from downstairs, "Do you mind putting the twins to bed for me?"

Alya's eyes flicked to her calendar. She slumped. Great, of course today also happened to be her day for chores.

It was 9pm by the time Alya managed to get back to her room.

11pm by the time she posted her article.

1am by the time she finished her homework.

Alya crashed into bed and willed sleep to drag her into its comforting darkness.

…

She willed again.

…

She rolled over and closed her eyes once more.

…

Sleep wasn't coming.

She opened her eyes and watched the clock slowly tick the night away, leaving her behind.

Alya groaned and sat up. Her face felt itchy and puffy, and there was a dull pounding behind her eyes. She jealously eyed Trixx, curled up and fast asleep on the pillow next to her. Alya sat in the quiet darkness for a moment before slipping out of bed and padding over to the window. She slid it open and let the cool night air wash over her. She breathed in deeply.

She suddenly felt wide awake.

"Trixx," Alya poked the little fox kwami.

"What," Trixx moaned, not happy at being woken up.

"I'm going to head out for a bit."

The little fox god blinked his sleepy eyes. "It's a bit late to be heading out, isn't it?"

"I just need a bit of fresh air, I won't be long."

"Wait, no," Trixx said, fully awake now, "I meant it's a bit late to be heading out as _Alya_, isn't it?" There was a mischievous glint in his violet eyes.

"But Ladybug forbade us from going out alone as Rena."

Trixx grinned. "And when has Alya Césaire ever cared about the rules?"

Alya blinked. A smile dawned on her face.

"Hey, Trixx?_ Let's pounce!"_

* * *

Rena leapt and bound across the rooftops of Paris, letting the cool night air wash away her insomnia. She relished in the newfound energy the night had given her, and she steadily increased her pace to a flat out sprint. This was the first time she had ever gone out alone, and it was exhilarating. Adrenaline flowed through her veins and her muscles pumped with exertion as she shimmied up a high building to dive off the other side.

She was a mere orange streak against a midnight sky.

Eventually, her lungs started to ache and her muscles began to protest. She came to a stop on the Eiffel tower. Wide-eyed, breathless, and with a racing heart, she looked out over the view. An indescribable feeling came over her. She had the whole of Paris to herself. She felt overcome with emotion. She laughed at herself - maybe she was just overtired.

She stretched up to the stars and took a deep breath in, slowing her pounding heart on the exhale. She could still feel a dull ache at the back of her head and the slight itch of tiredness in her eyes, but at least she was at peace.

She nestled herself into a corner of the iron lattices and made herself comfortable. A soft smile danced on her lips as she gazed out at the glittering world around her. The twinkling of the stars merged into that of the city lights on the horizon. The sounds of cars drifted up from below, as well as the odd bit of laughter from late night passers-by. The wind, however, was the loudest noise and caused the Eiffel tower to creak as it weaved its way through the lattices.

Rena closed her eyes. The world smelt of iron, starlight, and freedom.

It was a wonder then, that she didn't hear the soft thud as someone landed on the beam next to her. The figure sat in a crouch and smiled, their feet barely making a noise as they padded over to Rena's dozing figure. They stopped right in front of her.

Grinning, they took a deep breath and put their face right in front of hers.

_"RENA!" _

Rena yelped and jumped out of her skin, almost falling off the ledge. She caught herself and glared at the hooded boy rocking back with laughter.

"Carapace!" she yelled.

"Oh man, I got you _good!_" Carapace wiped away tears of laughter as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"You idiot!" She shoved him playfully and grumbled.

"Ah, I'm sorry, dude. I saw you sitting here and I just couldn't resist." He flashed her a grin.

Rena rubbed her temples and tried to hide her smile.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked as he sat down on the beam.

He shrugged as the grin slowly slid off his face. "Couldn't sleep."

Rena smiled, but it was tinged with bitterness, "Well that makes two of us."

Carapace returned with a hollow smile and turned his head to look out over the glittering world below. Silence fell upon them both. Rena gazed at the boy sitting in front of her. She traced his body with her eyes. The curve of his hood, the slant of his nose, the contours of his chest, down to his legs, gently swinging in the empty air.

Ever since she had first laid eyes on Carapace, she had known he was Nino. The way he walked and talked, and his mannerisms… it had been obvious. He didn't recognise her for Alya. She didn't mind though. Trixx had said it's very rare for someone to see through a miraculous disguise. And she was extremely observant by nature.

And right now, she could tell something was off.

Carapace was attempting to look carefree, but Rena could see the tension in his hunched shoulders, in his faintly creased brow, in the sharp reflections in his eyes. She frowned. Had he always been this tense? She certainly hadn't noticed anything different about Nino, but then, she hadn't exactly had a lot of energy to be attentive recently. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Hey, Rena?"

Rena shook her mind back to the present. Carapace was looking directly at her.

"Do you ever struggle with this superhero stuff?" he said hesitantly. His soft brown eyes were flecked with gold and guilt.

Words formed on the tip of her tongue, _Of course not! I love being a hero, it's a dream come true! _But she couldn't get them past her lips.

"Yes," she whispered. Carapace smiled a sad little smile and nodded.

"I… it's complicated," she continued. "Don't get me wrong, I love being Rena Rouge. I like fighting alongside Ladybug and Chat, and I love being able to help people. And the superpowers are great, of course." She grinned and Carapace laughed. "But I already had a lot on my plate to start with, and…" Rena hesitated. She turned her gaze back to the glittery darkness sprawled out in front of them. "I'm tired," she said, the sincerity in her voice surprising herself. Exhaustion slammed into her. "I'm so tired." The pinpricks of light blurred as she half closed her eyes.

Cold air and silence swirled between them.

"Me too," murmured Carapace.

The tower creaked and groaned around the pair of sombre superheroes. Rena's hair gently fluttered, ticking her skin. She lay back against the iron beam and closed her eyes. She willed the night to wash away her exhaustion once more.

Movement disturbed her though and she opened her eyes. Carapace was crawling over to her. He smiled, "You look cosy there."

"It's surprisingly comfortable, actually."

"Move over," he said, a cheeky glint in his eye.

Rena raised an eyebrow, but shuffled over on the beam so he could comfortably sit next to her.

He sat himself down with a sigh and lay his head back against the metal. He closed his eyes. "You're right, it _is_ surprisingly comfortable."

There wasn't a lot of space, so his body was pressed against hers. The suits meant they weren't cold, but Rena was grateful for the extra warmth of his body pressed at her side. Her heart fluttered.

She glanced at his profile. He looked so peaceful lying there. And yet, this close, she could see the shadows under his eyes.

She didn't know how to bring up the question on her lips. So she exhaled slowly and cast around for a different topic.

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" she smirked.

Carapace looked at her, a twinkle in his eye. "What, can't two friends sit next to each other?"

Rena shrugged, "I'm just saying."

The twinkle faded as his eyes flicked between hers a moment. "Yeah, I have a girlfriend." His tone was dull and monotonous.

Ice trickled down Rena's spine. Something was wrong.

"…You sound hesitant," she said, her tongue thick in her mouth.

"No, I love her. I really do." He ran his hands over his head, dislodging his hood to show his dark hair underneath.

Rena's stomach twisted. "There's a 'but', isn't there?" What was wrong with Nino? What was wrong with _her?_

Carapace slumped back and gazed straight ahead. "She's this amazing woman," he smiled. "She's brave, and fiercely intelligent, like, dude, you have no idea. She's basically a superwoman," he said.

Rena licked her dry lips. "So…what? You don't think you deserve her or something?"

Carapace creased his brow and shook his head, "No, no. It's not that."

"Oh," said Rena, slightly relieved. Cause Nino was _definitely_ more than good enough for her.

"It's…" he hesitated, "I don't think she loves me back."

Rena sucked in her breath as her gut plunged into ice.

Carapace gave a small smile and shook his head, "I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

Rena struggled to find her voice. She was in shock. How long had Nino felt like this?

He looked up at her, "Maybe it's just cause you're kind of a stranger, but it's easy to talk to you."

"Why-" she coughed and wet her dry mouth, "Why don't you think she loves you?"

She held her breath as she waited for Nino's response.

"Well, she's always so busy, but that's not my excuse!" he quickly said, holding his hands up in defence. "I don't want much, just little things. I'm a bit of a romantic I guess, and she doesn't really reciprocate. Like, I buy her flowers and she forgets about them. I write her long messages and she replies bluntly."

Rena tried to hide her look of dismay. She had forgotten to put those flowers in water because an akuma had shown up. She hadn't meant to fall asleep as soon as she got back. She hadn't meant to leave them to wither and die on the side. And those messages, she had honestly meant to reply properly! But she'd had Ladyblog articles to write, and chores to do, and homework to complete. She hadn't had the mental space to answer properly.

She bit her lip. But Nino wouldn't have known all of that. It wasn't his fault. She should have communicated better with him.

"Plus she's always putting herself in danger despite my objections," Carapace continued. "Like running straight towards akumas so she can record what's going on." He wrung his hands together. "I really like her, and I can't bear the thought of her not liking me back, but I don't know what else to do." He sniffed and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

_Oh, Nino_, Rena's heart melted. _I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were feeling this way. _

She gently placed her hands over Carapace's fidgeting ones. He stilled and met her eyes.

"Maybe you should try talking to her about this stuff," she said softly.

He held her gaze a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I've been thinking about doing that, but I haven't really plucked up the courage yet."

The sad smile he gave made Rena's heart break.

"If you're any judge of character to go on, then I _know _she's someone who will listen to you and love you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Rena rested her head on his shoulder. She felt tiredness seep back into her bones. She wanted nothing more than to blurt out who she was, but Ladybug had made them promise to keep their identities secret.

Rena closed her eyes. "It'll all work out, I know it will," she murmured sleepily. _I'll make it up to you, Nino. _She mentally sent thoughts to him as her consciousness started to fade. _I love you._

She felt a gentle weight on her head as Carapace rested his head against hers.

"Thanks, Rena."

They both sat there, resting on each other as the stars watched over them. Warmth and comfort flowed between them as the night drifted on, eventually taking them with it as they slid into sleep.

When Rena next stirred, she was met with the orange glow of dawn. She lifted her head, disturbing Carapace in the process.

He smiled at her as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.

She smiled back as warmth from the sun flooded the both of them. Today was going to be a good day. She could feel it.

Carapace yawned and stretched. "That was a pretty good sleep," he said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

Rena's smile widened, "It was."

"We should do this more often."

Rena just laughed in reply. She stood up and stretched up to the sky, which was getting bluer with every passing minute.

"Come on, we need to get a move on or we'll be late for school."

"I'll just skip breakfast," Carapace said, but he let her pull him to his feet. "Thanks for last night, Rena," he said, "it's nice to get to know you a little better."

Rena looked into his warm caramel eyes; they were flecked with orange from the morning sun.

"You too," she said, and she meant it. Despite already knowing Carapace's identity, last night she _had_ got to know him better. A smile dawned on her face as a plan formed in her mind. And she wasn't going to let that knowledge go to waste.

* * *

Alya ran to school as fast as she could. She wasn't late at all, but she needed to do something important first. She shot passed the school steps, leapt across the road, and burst into the Dupain-Cheng bakery, chest heaving.

"Alya!" Sabine greeted her, though she was a little shocked at the sudden entrance. "How can I help you? Are you here for Marinette? I'm afraid she hasn't come down yet."

Alya calmed her breathing. "Typical," she grinned, "but no, I'm actually here to pick up some pastries please."

After quickly choosing a selection and paying, she ran back across the road and waited anxiously by the school steps. Her eyes flicked left and right as she clutched the paper bag in her hands.

Her heart skipped a beat when she spied the person she'd been looking for.

"Nino!" she yelled across the schoolyard. Love and warmth blossomed in her as she ran towards the startled boy. She leapt on him and gave him a bone crushing hug.

He laughed as she released him, "Dude, you know I like you but it's too early for this much energy."

She just grinned and waved the bag of fresh pastries in front of him before shoving it in his hands.

Nino's eyes widened and drool practically dripped from his mouth as he looked in the bag.

"Alya! You shouldn't have!" He shoved one in his mouth. "Ohmygod, so good." He quickly chewed and swallowed, "Thanks, but what's the occasion?"

Alya shrugged and pecked him on the cheek. "It's more of an 'I'm sorry' present."

Nino frowned, "What?"

"I've been kinda distant lately and taking you for granted, and I just want you to know that I appreciate you."

"Alya!" Nino spluttered as his cheeks reddened, "You can't just come out with stuff like this, this early in the morning!" But he was obviously pleased.

"I can for you, Nino Lahiffe." She kissed him full on the mouth.

Nino gasped with surprise, but quickly relaxed and kissed her back. They held each other for a blissful moment before gently pulling away. Alya held his face and gazed deeply into his eyes.

"I love you, Nino," she said softly, pouring all her emotion into those words.

Nino pulled her into a hug. He buried his head in her hair and squeezed her tightly.

"I love you so much, Alya."


End file.
